I've been welding around 20yrs or so and have had my Hobart 210 for about 15 of those. It has been an excellent machine with not 1 issue. I really don't weld all that often these days, just as a typical hobbyist would but when I do it's usually a larger project. I have in the past done large scale jobs using it, the local amphitheater has been using custom designed carts built by me and my Hobart to set up the stage for concerts for close to 15 yrs now. Basically, knowing what I know now I wouldn't spend more for another brand. What I would spend more on though is the cut off saw. Forget the crappy 14" saw with abrasive wheels and go straight to a dry cut saw like the makita 12" one. It cuts without dust, the joints are cool to the touch and burr free. The last trailer frames I built ended up perfectly square on the first try simply because every piece was able to be cut exactly the same length within about 1/32nd of an inch. You can even trim a 1/16" off if needed, something that's not possible with a typical abrasive chop saw. It's about $400 but worth every penny.
